William I, Count of Holland

William I (ca. 1167, The Hague–4 February 1222), Count of Holland from 1203 to 1222. He was younger son of Floris III and Ada of Scotland.

Life

William was raised in Scotland. He started a revolt against his brother, Dirk VII and became count in Friesland after a reconciliation. Friesland was considered as a part of Holland by the Counts of Holland. His niece, Ada, eventually inherited Holland in 1203, but William couldn't accept this. After a civil war, which lasted for several years, William won the war. Louis and Ada were supported by the bishops of Liege and Utrecht and by the count of Flanders. William was supported by the duke of Brabant and by the majority of the Hollanders.

Emperor Otto IV acknowledged him as count of Holland in 1203, because he was a supporter of the Welfs. He and many others changed allegiance to emperor Frederick II after the battle of Bouvines in 1214. He took part in a French expedition against king John of England. The pope excommunicated him for this.

William then became a fervent crusader (or to get rid of his excommunication). He campaigned in Prussia and joined in the conquest of Lisbon. In Europe, he was called William the Crazy for his chivalric behaviour. William conquered the city of Damietta during the Fifth Crusade.

There was an enormous change in the landscape of Holland in the end of the 12th and during the 13th century. Many colonists bought land to turned the swamps into polders. Most of the swamps had been sold, and irrigation had started during the reign of William. Huge infrastructural works were done. The island Grote Waard (grote means large) got dikes around it. A dam was build at Spaarndam. New constitutional bodies were created, the 'waterschappen' and 'hoogheemraadschappen', which were meant to protect the polders against the sea. William gave city rights to Middelburg, Dordrecht, Geertruidenberg and perhaps also to Leiden. Thus he gave an impulse to trade.

Family and children

He was married two times. First, he married 1197 with Adelaide of Geldern, daughter of Count Otto I of Geldern and Richardis of Scheyern-Wittelsbach. Secondly, he married 1220 Maria of Brabant, daughter of Duke Henry I of Brabant and Maud of Boulogne and Alsace. He had following children:

1. Floris IV, Count of Holland (24 June 1210 The Hague–19 July 1234, Corbie, France).
2. Otto (d. 1249), Regent of Holland in 1238-1239, Bishop of Utrecht.
3. Willem (d. 1238), Regent of Holland in 1234-1238
4. Richarde (d. 1262).
5. Ada (d. 1258), Abbess at Rijnsburg